Once Upon a Time Review and Discussion

I finished watching the first two seasons of Once Upon a Time a few weeks ago. Now I am going through withdrawals (as the first two seasons are the only ones on Netflix). Because this show is amazing. I decided to try it out after seeing Alexa and Judith rave about it on Twitter. I had actually tried watching the first episode back when it first came out, but it just didn’t grab my attention then. Stupid, stupid, stupid past self. *facepalm* I am so in love with this show. Even my husband likes it! (It took a lot of convincing to get him to watch it, but he’s hooked now too!)

The first part of this post will be a review and the second part will be a little bit of a spoilery discussion. I will clearly mark when the spoilers will start.

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect of this show. I loved the concept and the idea of this show because fairytales are my favorite thing ever. I’m kind of convinced that I’m a Disney princess actually. (If you like Disney, check out my post on Disney Princesses and Their YA Counterparts!) But I was worried that this show was going to be too low budget and that the actors or the graphics would suck. But everybody on Twitter was raving about it, so I decided to give it a go. One episode. That’s all it took to suck me into this world. I couldn’t get enough, but I also didn’t want to tear through seasons 1 & 2 only to be devastated that it was over so fast. So I did something I’ve never done before. I exercised self-control. *gasp* I know. I’m impressed with myself too. The journey took place from November until about a week ago. I’m glad I savored it, but I’m also still devastated that I have to wait for who knows how long to watch season 3? (Are they in season 3 right now?)

So why is this show so awesome? The characters. Every single character in this show has a rich backstory and is so well-developed. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love/hate every single character (except for one, but we’ll get to that). I love the way the show flashes back and forth between present-day Storybrook and the characters’ pasts in the Enchanted Forest. It really gives us a great picture of who these characters are and WHY they are the way they are. Amazing.

But it’s not just the characters. It’s the plot and the world. The plot will suck you into the story, forcing you to sit on the edge of your seat, wanting to know more. There are so many crazy twists and turns. My jaw has hit the floor multiple times since starting the show. The writers continue to surprise me with the direction the show takes and I am loving every second of it. The world is also something I have fallen in love with. There’s magic and curses and spells and potions and everything a fantasy lover like myself loves. I am so in love with the Enchanted Forest. The parts where we flash back there are definitely my favorites.

If you haven’t seen this show and don’t want to be spoiled please leave now. SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO SEASONS AHEAD!!!

It’s time to talk about spoilery things now. First I want to rant about one of the characters who is literally the most annoying person on the face of the planet. Henry. Every time he is in a scene, I cringe. First of all, terrible actor. I never believe him. He’s always so overdramatic too. “No! You can’t do that, it’s not what good would do!” “Stop fighting for five minutes!” Blah blah blah. Shut up, Henry. Nobody cares about you. 

Emma also annoys me at times. Sometimes I just want her to shut up and listen to Snow and Charming. Seriously. They have lived in this world with Regina and all the other bad guys their whole lives. I think they know a little more than you do, Emma. But then there are other times when I really like her. She’s pretty badass and she truly cares about Henry.

Characters that intrigue me the most: Hook! Regina! Rumplestiltskin! Yes, apparently I have a thing for villains. But these characters are just so complex. Hook, I want to like, really really badly. And part of me does like him. But then the other part knows that he’s not exactly the nicest guy and he’s pretty self-serving. Though I will say we started to see another side of him at the very end of season 2 and I can’t wait to see more! Regina is broken and you really do have to feel some sympathy for her. She truly does love Henry (although I have no idea why…) and I think she wants to be a good person, but she’s been evil for so long that she doesn’t know how. But I also hate her for all the bad things that she has done. And Rumplestiltskin. He is quite possibly one of the most complex characters I have ever seen. He is evil and dark, but at the center, deep within him shimmers this tiny little light that I’m terrified will go out at any second. His son and Belle are the only things keeping it burning.

 

Speaking of Belle, I ship Rumple and Belle so freaking hard. I love everything about them. They are definitely my favorite couple on the show. The scene where she gets her memory back in the season 2 finale and they kiss. I literally teared up. She truly brings out the best in him and I love seeing that. I also love that Belle doesn’t shun him or look at him like a villain. She may be one of the only people in the world that knows the true Rumplestiltskin.

One more thing before I end this way too long post. In the season 2 finale, they leave everybody behind in Storybrook to go to Neverland after Henry. Rumple makes it sound like he’s not coming back when he says goodbye to Belle. So they just left everybody they care about to go after one (in my opinion) stupid kid? I mean, I’m sure they’ll find a way back, but it seemed rash. They should have tried to bring everybody with them or something. I don’t know. Didn’t really seem fair. (I think mostly I’m just saying that because of my dislike of Henry.)

I will stop now because this post is way too long and you are all probably sick of reading. Thanks for chatting about the show with me and if you haven’t seen it yet, get on it! It’s amazing!